Page 56 of Mafia Darling

I shoved my leg closer to hers, desperate for more contact. Desperate for her to forgive me. While I understood the reasons for it, I hated that she didn’t trust me. I would wear her down, though. It had already started, in fact. A few days ago she wouldn’t have rubbed me with her toes and smiled at me. I had to be satisfied with whatever little progress I made each day.

Eventually I would have all of her.

“No trips to Rome,” I told her. “Part of my agreement with your father was that the girls would stay here, nowhere else.”

“Damn.” She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “How did you manage it? I can’t believe he agreed.”

I had plenty of material on Robert Mancini that he would much prefer to keep private. Not to mention I could cut off his income with a snap of my fingers. I think that threat scared him more than any public embarrassment over his drug and escort service habits. Tracing a fingertip over the fine bones in her wrist, I said, “I can be very persuasive. Or have you forgotten?”

Goosebumps traveled over her skin and I wanted to lick them, bite them. She whispered, “I prefer to call it bossy.”

“A consequence of being the boss,” I murmured, fascinated by the shape of her lips. I missed kissing her. The feel and taste of her mouth lingered all day after our kiss in the hall, the memory thickening my cock at the most inappropriate times today.

“They want to go clubbing tonight.”

Fear and irritation tightened behind my shoulder blades. “Absolutely fucking not, Francesca.”

“Calm down. I already told them no.”

I relaxed slightly. I would need to watch these Mancini sisters, especially Gia. A troublemaker if I’d ever seen one. She had been eye-fucking every one of my guards under the age of thirty all day. I didn’t want her upsetting Francesca.

“Papà,” Giulio said. “Emma and Gia would like to see the nightlife in Siderno. I could take them.”

“No.” I wouldn’t allow Francesca to go, and I didn’t trust the sisters out at a club.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Francesca told Giulio with a wink. “Let the girls have at least one good night’s rest first.”

I tensed, ready to argue, but then I felt her foot wrap around the back of my calf, and it stroked back and forth over my trousers. That simple contact mesmerized me, and I wondered if I could get her to move higher. My cock was so desperate for attention from her.

Her intention could not be more obvious, however.

“I know what you are doing,” I said quietly. “It won’t work.”

“We’ll see,” she said with a teasing smile that caused my mouth to dry out.

Hmm. Perhaps she was right. I would agree to almost anything if she would get on her knees for me just one more time.

Soon.

If we were alone, I would pull her onto my lap and kiss her until she begged me to make her come.

“Too bad you didn’t have your phone with you when you were vacationing in Naples,” Gia said to Francesca. “I wanted to see pictures. Did you go to the catacombs or to Pompeii?”

An awkward silence descended. I didn’t want to lie but Francesca obviously preferred to keep the kidnapping a secret from her sisters. The truth would only anger and frighten them. “We didn’t get the chance,” I said when no one spoke. “Allora. Next time.”

Francesca gave the room a tight smile, one that did not reach her eyes. “Right. We hardly left the beach.”

Marco entered and headed for me. He’d been waiting for Enzo to wake up. My cousin bent and said in my ear, “He says he’s ready to sign it over to you.”

Satisfaction rippled through me. This was what I’d been waiting for before killing him. Enzo’s entire empire was about to be mine. “I’m coming.”

Marco nodded to the table on his way out the door. I rose and placed my napkin beside my plate. Leaning over, I kissed Francesca’s cheek. “I must go.”

“But you haven’t had dessert yet,” she said, clutching my tie.

I held her jaw in my hand and caressed her soft skin for a brief moment. “You have it. I will see you tomorrow.”

Straightening, I caught Giulio’s eye and lifted my chin. He stood and excused himself to Zia and the sisters, then followed me from the room.

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